Why I Wear What I Wear (or: Excuses, Excuses)

One of the few classes I attended at Uprising was on Elizabethan Men's Garb. It's the right time period for me, and even if I'm not English, the English and the Dutch were allies, so they'd have been an influence on us. I showed up in my just finished fighting, feeling lazy, it's not court yet garb and wound up being pointed out as an example of both what to do (garters on my tall boots) and what not to do (those self-same boots, big, floppy cavalier hat).

Now, as anyone who's read some of my earlier posts can no doubt guess, I'm a big proponent of appropriate garb, so you'd think I'd practice what I preach, and you're right, I should do better. A lot better, actually. In fact, my garb is pretty much late-period generic. But I'd like to think I'm making progress.

For example, the boots that got props and poo-pooed are, actually correct for me. Okay, maybe not for court (unless I was standing it as a champion). The instructor did have a point that they are meant as riding boots - which, as a dragoon, is spot-on for my every-day use - and nobody would wear them to court. So, I suppose I should be wearing my hose and shoes instead, it's just that my boots are far more comfortable than my shoes. And, with how screwed up my feet are (even the Army says I'm disabled because of them), comfort is very important. Now, if I can save up $150 for a pair of Birkenstock Londons, I'd probably start living in them, instead.

And I actually agree with the instructors about my hat, but for different reasons. For her, it was the fact that the hat was for every-day and not for special occasions like court. My reason for wanting a different hat is all together different. Another thing regular readers might have picked up on is that I'm not much of a pirate person, and what do most SCA pirates wear over their polyester paisley do-rags? That's right: big, floppy Cavalier hats with more feathers sticking out of them that a chicken farm. But I have the hat -and have had it since before Pirates of the Carribean (if I don't bathe for 6 months and start acting effiminant, does that make me sexy, too?). And, I have far less hair than I once did (at least on top of my head). So I wear the hat - at least until I can find one I like better. Which, I think I may have. Plate 40d of Braun & Schneider's History of Costume shows a man, wearing of all things, a fedora. I can do a fedora. Okay, so it's German instead of Dutch, but their Plate 47c show what looks remarkably like either a reservation hat or a classic slouch hat, which is also doable. It'll just be a matter of what I can find locally.

This may be one of those where, by going more period, I look less period (especially if I do up something like coat the man from the Isle of Sylt is wearing), but that's okay. I've always rather liked making people question their assumptions.